College

Big matchups dot the college landscape Top 25 previews By The Associated Press

FILE - In this Oct. 3, 2013, file photo, Texas coach Mack Brown reacts to a call during an NCAA college football game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. The best way for Brown to stop--or at least curtail--the speculation about whether this will be his last season in Austin is for him to snap a three-game losing streak against the Sooners. Oklahoma has won the last two against Texas by a combined 118-38. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

West-leading Alabama resumes SEC play looking to pick up where it left off from a 25-0 shutout of Ole Miss 25-0 two weeks ago. The Crimson Tide also aim to maintain their dominance over Kentucky, which seeks to beat Alabama for the first time since 1997 and stop a 10-game SEC losing streak.

KEY MATCHUP

Kentucky's offensive line vs. Alabama's defensive front. The Wildcats were able to move the ball against South Carolina but need to step up their pass and run blocking against one of the SEC's top defenses.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Alabama: Sophomore free safeties Landon Collins and Geno Smith stepped in for suspended Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with solid efforts against Georgia State. Good follow-ups are expected in the first of five straight SEC games.

Kentucky: After alternating with Maxwell Smith, sophomore QB Jalen Whitlow took every snap last week at No. 13 South Carolina and led a comeback before falling short, 35-28. That effort has established the Alabama native as the starter and he enters against his home state team as Kentucky's top rusher with 238 yards and three touchdowns and No. 2 passer with 499 yards and three TDs on 68 percent accuracy.

FACTS & FIGURES

Saturday marks the first meeting between the teams since 2009. ... Alabama coach Nick Saban is 5-0 against Kentucky including three wins as LSU's coach. ... Kentucky DT Dante Rumph is the nephew of Alabama DL coach Chris Rumph. He's one of seven Wildcats from Alabama. ... Kentucky closes its first four-game stretch against ranked teams; the Wildcats have lost to No. 7 Louisville, No. 19 Florida and No. 13 South Carolina.

This is Washington's final chance to make the Pac-12 North more than just a race between Stanford and Oregon. The Huskies gutty effort in a loss at Stanford last Saturday gave credence to their rebuilding, but getting back into the Rose Bowl race will be put on hold for another year with a loss to the Ducks. Oregon starts a stretch of four straight against teams with winning records.

KEY MATCHUP

Oregon's offense vs. Washington's defense. Can Washington keep up? The Huskies certainly believe they have never been more prepared for Oregon's speed thank to the decision by coach Steve Sarkisian for their own offense to go up-tempo this season. But what the Huskies have faced in practice may not match the precision and gear the Ducks operate at. The Ducks are averaging nearly 50 points and 630 yards per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Oregon: QB Marcus Mariota. Is this the week that Mariota finally has to take meaningful snaps in the fourth quarter? The Ducks have been so dominant that Mariota has been mostly a fourth-quarter spectator this season, making his 1,358 yards passing and 14 TD passes even more impressive. Mariota has thrown a TD pass in 18 straight games.

Washington: QB Keith Price. Price is coming off one of the best performances of his career, throwing for 350 yards and withstanding a number of big shots from Stanford's defense in the Huskies' 31-28 loss. This will be Price's fourth career start against the Ducks and he has not thrown for more than 150 yards in any of his previous ones.

FACTS & FIGURES

ESPN's "College GameDay" coming to Seattle for the first time for Saturday's matchup. Show will broadcast from Red Square in front of the Suzzallo Library in the middle of campus. ... Oregon has won nine straight in series, longest win streak by either team in the history of the series. All nine have been by at least 17 points. ... Oregon beat Washington 34-17 in 2011 in the final game before Husky Stadium was renovated.

Clemson is hoping for its second 6-0 start in three seasons and stay perfect ahead of an expected mega-showdown with No. 6 Florida State at Death Valley on Oct. 19. Boston College can get itself in the ACC Atlantic mix with the huge upset.

KEY MATCHUP

Clemson QB Tajh Boyd vs. the Eagles defense: Boyd has only been held in check one time this season when North Carolina State limited him to 244 yards in a 26-14 Clemson victory. In the two games since, Boyd's thrown for 766 yards and eight touchdowns. Boston College is 13th of 14 ACC teams defensively and has allowed more than 210 yards a game through the air.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Boston College: RB Andre Williams leads the country with 153.6 yards rushing a game and had a career-best 263 yards and five TDs in a 48-25 victory over Army last week.

Clemson: DE Vic Beasley has eight sacks and tops the Football Bowl Subdivision for an improving Tigers defense. After giving up 35 points in a season-opening win over Georgia, Clemson has allowed just 41 points in the four games since.

FACTS & FIGURES

Clemson has won two straight and four of the past five over Boston College after the Eagles had the Tigers number early after joining the ACC in 2005. Boston College notched its first league victory at Death Valley that same fall. ... Boston College has 16 sacks in five games after registering just six in all of 2012. ... Clemson coach Dabo Swinney got his first victory as the team's interim coach against Boston College 27-21 in 2008. .. The winner of the game receives the O'Rourke-McFadden Trophy, which features a replica leather helmet as was worn by BC's Charlie O'Rourke and Clemson's Banks McFadden when the two faced other in the 1940 Cotton Bowl.

Stanford carries a 13-game winning streak into the contest against a gritty Utah squad that gave No. 11 UCLA a scare last week despite throwing six interceptions. Looming next week for the Cardinal is a game at home vs. UCLA.

KEY MATCHUP

Stanford DBs vs. Utah WR Dres Anderson. The junior wideout has turned in four straight 100-yard receiving games. Cornerback Alex Carter could spend a lot of time shadowing Anderson around the field.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Stanford: LBs Trent Murphy and Shayne Skov. The seniors anchor a stout Stanford defense. Skov is leading the team with 43 tackles, while Murphy is creeping up the school's all-time sacks list. He's currently tied for eighth with 21 in his career.

Utah: QB Travis Wilson. The sophomore hopes to bounce back after throwing six interceptions in a 34-27 loss to the Bruins. He nearly led a game-tying drive, before throwing his sixth pick of the game. Wilson averages 331 yards of offense.

FACTS & FIGURES

Stanford will make its first trip to Salt Lake City in 18 years. The Cardinal is 2-0 at Utah, including a win in the first-ever meeting between the schools in 1902. ... QB Kevin Hogan is 10-0 as a starter. ... WR Ty Montgomery had a career-best 290 all-purpose yards in a win over Washington last week. He set the tone with a 99-yard kickoff return for a score. ... Stanford is off to a 5-0 start for the third time since 1951. ... Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is looking for the 75th win of his career. He's 74-34 in nine seasons at Utah. ... The Utes have turned in eight plays of 50 or more yards, which is tied for third in the nation. ... The Utes are 0-4 against ranked conference teams since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. ... First-year K Andy Phillips hasn't missed a field goal (9 for 9) or an extra point (24 for 24) this season.

Georgia lost wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley and tailback Keith Marshall to season-ending knee injuries in last week's 44-41 overtime win at Tennessee and could be without tailback Todd Gurley (ankle) for a second straight week. Undefeated Missouri is trying to validate a strong start after last week's 51-28 win at Vanderbilt.

KEY MATCHUP

Missouri QB James Franklin vs. Georgia secondary. Franklin, a senior, threw four TD passes against Vanderbilt, giving him 13 for the season with only three interceptions. Georgia, which ranks 12th in the SEC in pass defense, likely will start two freshmen defensive backs, free safety Tray Matthews and cornerback Shaq Wiggins.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia: RB J.J. Green. After Marshall left last week's game in the first half, Green took the lead role in the running game. The freshman had 17 carries for 129 yards, showing for the first time his potential to be more than a complement to Gurley and Marshall.

Missouri: DE Michael Sam. The senior has recorded three sacks in back-to-back games against Arkansas State and Vanderbilt. He has 10 tackles for losses and has forced a fumble.

FACTS & FIGURES

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray needs 325 yards to top Tim Tebow's SEC record for total offense (12,232) in a career. ... Missouri is making its first visit to Sanford Stadium. ... Georgia won 41-20 at Missouri last year in the Tigers' first SEC game. ... Missouri has matched its win total from 2012. This is the Tigers' fifth 5-0 start in coach Gary Pinkel's 13 seasons. ... Missouri has caused a turnover in 35 consecutive games, the longest streak in the BCS. ... Georgia LB Ramik Wilson leads the SEC with 52 tackles, including 15 at Tennessee. ... Missouri ranks second in the SEC, behind Texas A&M, with 46.6 points per game. Georgia is fourth at 39.8 against a schedule that has included three top 10 teams. ... Georgia has played 14 true freshmen. Ten freshmen have played on defense, including five who have started at least one game.

Texas A&M is looking for another conference victory as it tries to stay close to Alabama in the Western Division. The Aggies have had two weeks to prepare, thanks to a bye week following a 45-33 win over Arkansas on Sept. 28. Ole Miss has lost two in a row and is trying to beat Texas A&M for the first time in school history.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas A&M WR Mike Evans against the Ole Miss secondary: The 6-foot-5 Evans has been one of the SEC's most prolific receivers this season, averaging nearly 25 yards per catch. He'll have a huge size advantage against the Rebels' secondary, but Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze has hinted at using some unorthodox defensive formations to give him trouble.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Texas A&M: QB Johnny Manziel is having a very good season in his Heisman encore, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for 1,489 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. He's also rushed for a team-high 314 yards and three touchdowns.

Ole Miss: RB Jeff Scott is usually right in the middle of the Rebels' offense when things are going well. The 5-foot-7, 162-pound burner is averaging 8.7 yards per carry this season.

FACTS & FIGURES

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin has a 15-3 record during his two seasons in College Station. ... Texas A&M is on a nine-game road winning streak, which is the longest for the school since a 10-game streak in 1939 and 1940. Sumlin's personal road winning streak at Texas A&M and Houston is up to 14 games. ... The Aggies have scored first in 17 of 18 games under Sumlin. ... Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel has had at least 300 total yards in 15 of 18 career games. ... Ole Miss is at the beginning of a six-game homestand after playing four of the first five games on the road. The Rebels don't have to leave the Magnolia State for the rest of the season - the only road game is at Mississippi State. ... Ole Miss freshman WR Laquon Treadwell leads the team with 24 catches. Another freshman, TE Evan Engram, ranks third with 15 catches.

Florida aims to remain unbeaten in the Southeastern Conference and thereby remain a leading contender to win the East Division. For LSU, a second conference loss would damage its hopes of catching Alabama for the top spot in the SEC West.

KEY MATCHUP

LSU's balanced and increasingly prolific offense against Florida's SEC best defense. Led by senior QB Zach Mettenberger, LSU has been averaging 448.8 yards and 45.5 points per game, while Florida, with a defense headlined by cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy, is yielding 217 yards and 12.2 points per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Florida: QB Tyler Murphy, who took over for injured starter Jeff Driskel in the third game of the season, has completed 39 of 54 passes (72.2 percent) for 530 yards and five touchdowns against only one interception.

LSU: WR and KR Odell Beckham Jr. caught nine passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns at Mississippi State last weekend and leads the nation in all-purpose yards with 228.2 per game.

FACTS & FIGURES

Florida has won 16 of 30 games played in LSU's Tiger Stadium. ... LSU coach Les Miles is 4-4 vs. Florida, 3-1 in Tiger Stadium. ... Florida and LSU have split their last 10 meetings, winning five apiece. ... Purifoy's interception for TD last week vs. Arkansas marked the eighth straight game in which Florida has recorded an interception. ... For the first time in school history, LSU has topped the 400-yard mark and 30-point mark in each of its first six games. ... LSU WRs Jarvis Landry and Beckham have combined 77 receptions for 1,302 yards and 13 TDs. ... Florida has outscored opponents 55-3 during the second quarter of its first five games this season. ... LSU RB Jeremy Hill rushed for 157 yards last week at Mississippi State. Hill leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation with nine TDs rushing. ... Florida coach Will Muschamp, a former LSU defensive coordinator under Nick Saban, is 1-1 against LSU since taking over the Gators in 2011.

Although the Bruins are off to their best start since 2005, they've got ample motivation to avoid any traps in their final game before consecutive road trips to Stanford and Oregon. Cal beat UCLA 43-17 last season in Berkeley, knocking the Bruins out of the rankings.

KEY MATCHUP

California QB Jared Goff vs. UCLA LB Anthony Barr. The Golden Bears' precocious passer is third in the nation in yards passing, and he's coming off a school-record 504-yard performance in a loss to Washington State. The Bruins will attempt to pressure Goff constantly, and nobody is better at it than Barr, who has three sacks this season after notching 13½ last season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

California: WR Chris Harper. The Bears' defense has given up 151 points in the last three games, so it's reasonable to think the Bear Raid offense might have to get in a shootout to stand a chance. Goff's best target is Harper, who has 38 catches for 570 yards and four TDs already this season.

UCLA: LT Simon Goines. The Bruins' starting right tackle is switching sides to fill in for Torian White, who was lost for the season last week at Utah. The sophomore from Texas started all of last season on the right side, but feels confident he can protect QB Brett Hundley's blind side.

FACTS & FIGURES

Cal, which still hasn't beaten an FBS opponent under new coach Sonny Dykes, is playing its fourth Top-25 opponent in six games. ... If starting UCLA RB Jordon James sits out as expected with a sprained ankle, Paul Perkins is likely to step into the starting spot. The freshman is a pass-catching threat who has also rushed for at least 22 yards in all four games. ... UCLA has outscored its four opponents 65-0 in the third quarter this season. ... Hundley threw a career-worst four interceptions in UCLA's loss at Cal last season. ... The Golden Bears' defense is allowing 45.0 points per game — second-most in the nation — and 524 yards per game.

First place in the Big 12 is on the line. But what's getting most attention is whether Texas coach Mack Brown has to win to save his job. Brown is under intense pressure after three sub-par seasons and three straight losses to the Longhorns' chief rival, including blowouts the last two years.

KEY MATCHUP

Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell vs. Texas linebackers Peter Jinkens, Dalton Santos and Steve Edmond. Everyone else has run on the Longhorns this season and if Sooners can find a way to get the "Belldozer" beyond the line scrimmage and into the open field, the Sooners could have another huge day.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Oklahoma: LBs Dominique Alexander and Aaron Franklin. They will fill in for injured Corey Nelson, the Sooners' leading tackler who is out with an injury. Alexander, a freshman, and Franklin, a junior will be challenged to contain Texas' Johnathan Gray, the Longhorns' leading rusher.

Texas: QB Case McCoy. The Longhorns have had dismal quarterback play in this game the last two years. McCoy, who has been the backup most of his career, gets his third start of the season in place of injured David Ash. McCoy said this week he's preparing for a game, "I'll be remembered for forever."

FACTS AND FIGURES

Texas is just 3-12 against ranked opponents since 2010. Throw the records out the window for a rivalry? That's not the case with Texas-Oklahoma. At least one of the teams has been ranked in every game since 1999, and the higher-ranked team is 13-1. The only exception was No. 5 Texas beating No. 1 Oklahoma 45-35 in 2008. ... The winner gets the Golden Hat trophy, a gold cowboy hat mounted on a block of wood. Look for the winning team to pose for pictures wearing it.

The Red Raiders, tied for first in the Big 12 with the Sooners and Texas, are looking to remain unbeaten before heading out for two tough road games at West Virginia and Oklahoma. Iowa State hopes to rebound from a tough last-minute loss (31-30) to Texas and to get its first conference win.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas Tech's receivers vs. the Cyclones secondary. The Red Raiders have five receivers with double-digit receptions, led by Jace Amaro with 38 catches for 463 yards who leads the Big 12 in receptions per game and Eric Ward with 27 catches for 343 yards to rank fourth in the conference. They'll go up against three senior defensive backs, including S Jacques Washington, who's third in the Big 12 with 9.5 tackles per game, and Sam Richardson (6.8 tpg).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Iowa State: RB Aaron Wimberly has run for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games. In the Texas game he got 117 yards on 29 carries and two TDs — a run and a pass.

Texas Tech: It's unclear whether freshman starting QB Baker Mayfield will play after he twisted his right knee last week. Backup Davis Webb threw two interceptions apiece in two earlier games but had no turnovers when he came in after Mayfield's injury. Michael Brewer, who reinjured his back in fall workouts, could also be in the mix.

FACTS & FIGURES

Iowa State is one of four teams nationally that's perfect inside the red zone, getting nine TDs and four FGs in 13 trips. ... First-year Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury could become the first coach in school history to win his first six games. ... The Cyclones are the only team in the country with three players (DEs Nick Kron and Cory Morrissey, and DB Deon Broomfield) to have two fumble recoveries each.

Two-time defending MAC champion Northern Illinois looks to extend a 22-game home unbeaten streak, the nation's longest. The Huskies beat Kent State 38-24 in last week's MAC opener in a rematch of the 2012 conference title game. Akron is coming off a 43-3 home loss to Ohio, its most lopsided setback and fourth straight loss.

KEY MATCHUP

Northern Illinois WR Da'Ron Brown and Tommylee Lewis have a combined 661 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. They'll go up against an Akron secondary that includes CB Malachi Freeman who has eight pass breakups and team-high 36 tackles, including 23 solos. LB Justin March has three interceptions and his 0.5 average ranks 28th nationally.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Akron: QB Kyle Pohl is 115-of-198 for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns. LB Nico Caponi is tied for 22nd in the nation with four sacks and also has two forced fumbles.

Northern Illinois: QB Jordan Lynch was 25-of-35 for 244 yards and rushed for 94 more last week against Kent State. TB Cameron Stingily was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 266 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Northern Illinois is 12th nationally in total offense, averaging 529.6 yards per game. The Huskies have also allowed opponents 477.8 yards average, 113th in the country. . Lynch is 13th in total offense with a 329.2 yards per game average and needs 44 to become the ninth FBS player all-time with 3,000 rushing and 4,000 passing yards. . Northern Illinois holds the nation's longest conference winning streak (18 games). . Akron has not won on the road since a 42-35 triumph on Oct. 18, 2008 at Eastern Michigan, 29-straight losses. . Akron last beat Northern Illinois in 2005, a 31-30 MAC championship game win at Detroit's Ford Field. . The Zips have 16 sacks, the most by a MAC team to date, and matched its 2012 total(backslash)

The Hokies bring a five-game winning streak into the game and need to keep winning for what would set up as a battle for the Coastal Division title at Miami on Nov. 9. The Panthers have won the last four in the series and could state their case as Coastal Division challengers by winning at Lane Stadium.

KEY MATCHUP

Pitt passing game v Virginia Tech defense. Panthers QB Tom Savage has been masterful (six TD passes against Duke) and vulnerable (Virginia sacked him seven times and knocked him out of the game). He's been cleared to play, but how will he fare against the defense that leads the country in sacks with 19?

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Pittsburgh: WRs Devin Street and Tyler Boyd. They are one of three tandems of receivers in the country each averaging better than 100 yards receiving per game, and while the Hokies' young secondary has them ninth nationally, allowing just 161 yards passing per game.

Virginia Tech: RBs Trey Edmunds and J.C. Coleman. The Hokies are still working to get their running game going, and doing so would allow QB Logan Thomas, who is banged up, to take less punishment.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Panthers are coming off an off week after victories that couldn't have been less alike: 58-55 against Duke, and 14-3 against Virginia. ... Both teams' only loss came against a team in the top 10. Pitt lost 41-13 to No. 6 Florida State, and the Hokies lost 35-10 to No. 1 Alabama. ... Panthers DT Aaron Donald ranks second nationally with 1.5 sacks per game. ... Virginia Tech is 30-7 in ACC home games since joining the league in 2004. ... Virginia Tech WR D.J. Coles has 11 receptions, five for touchdowns. ... Opponents have made nine trips inside the Hokies' 20 yard-line this season and scored eight times.

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